Oncology Pharmacy

Residency Program Director: Allison Schepers, PharmD, BCOP

General Description 

The University of Michigan Health PGY2 Oncology Pharmacy Residency is designed to provide residents with a diverse set of experiences in hematology/oncology, while allowing collaboration with top experts at an NCCN-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center. The program will challenge residents to develop high-level clinical and literature evaluation skills through a wide variety of inpatient and outpatient experiences. The strong affiliation with the University of Michigan College of Pharmacy allows residents to hone educational skills through didactic lectures, round table discussions, and precepting of fellows, residents, students. Residents will become experts in academic performance through completion of high-level research and writing endeavors throughout the year. The program also affords the opportunity to work with experts in oncology practice management and design of unique services. Upon completion of the program, residents will be among the leaders and best in hematology/oncology practice, poised to secure a specialized pharmacist position in hematology/oncology.  

Minimum qualifications include graduation from an accredited college of pharmacy with a Doctor of Pharmacy degree and completion of a PGY1 residency or equivalent experience.

 

Recruitment Plan 

A list of 2025 recruitment events will be added late summer. Please check back around that time for updates or contact the Residency Program Director with questions. 

Program Structure 

Rotation Experiences are tailored according to resident interests in conjunction with the residency program director and coordinator in July.  

Required Rotations 

Block Rotations (4 weeks unless otherwise specified) 

  • Orientation (July)
  • Adult Inpatient Hematology (MHE)
  • Inpatient Bone Marrow Transplant
  • Pediatric Hematology/Oncology
  • Ambulatory Oncology GI/GU/Lung (Blue)
  • Ambulatory Oncology GYO/Melanoma/Breast (Gold)
  • Oncology Administration - minimum 2 weeks

Longitudinal Rotations (5 months)  

  • Outpatient Disease-Based Clinic (1 per semester)
  • Multiple options available, including lymphoma, leukemia, multiple myeloma, BMT, gyn-onc, melanoma, breast cancer, head & neck cancer, GU cancer, GI cancer, sarcoma, lung cancer, and oral chemotherapy  

Elective Rotations (2-4 weeks unless otherwise specified) 

  • Ambulatory Hematology (Lymphoma/Myeloma/Leukemia)
  • Ambulatory Bone Marrow Transplant
  • Advanced Ambulatory Care
  • Advanced Inpatient
  • Advanced Inpatient-Outpatient Hybrid
  • Hematology Consult Service
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Inpatient Hematology MHP
  • Inpatient Medical Oncology Service (MON)
  • Medical Intensive Care Unit
  • Teaching/Academia

Staffing Responsibility 

  • Residents staff in the Rogel Cancer Center Infusion Center. A weekend staffing shift includes one Friday night shift (3PM-8PM) and one Saturday shift (7:30AM to 5PM)
  • Staffing requirement: Two training weekends and approximately one weekend per month (10-12 weekends) plus holiday staffing.
  • Holiday staffing comprises 1 major and 1 minor holiday block.

Research and Publications Opportunity 

  • Design and completion of research project is required
  • Completion of a writing project (review article or secondary research project) suitable for publication is required
  • Four major oral presentations:
      • Research protocol
      • Writing project (CE lecture)
      • Research project results at Great Lakes residency conference
      • Research project results to pharmacy department
  • Residents will present a poster at Vizient Pharmacy Resident Poster Session and HOPA Annual Conference

Teaching Opportunity 

  • Residents may serve as a preceptor for pharmacy students on rotation.
  • Teaching at the University of Michigan College of Pharmacy is required. 
    • Residents are expected to attend each class session, facilitate discussion of pharmacy students, effectively manage classrooms, understand classwork and curriculum development, and assist in grading/evaluating students. In certain classes, residents are expected to give didactic lectures on various topics. Throughout the year, residents will be expected to gain confidence in teaching methods and take a larger role in facilitating class discussions. By the end of the year, residents should be able to manage a classroom independently. 
  • Residents will present five major topic presentations (Michigan Oncology Pharmacy Symposium; MOPS) 
  • The program also offers an optional teaching certificate program in partnership with the U-M College of Pharmacy. The program includes a teaching discussion series, teaching rotation (counts as one of 5 electives), submission of a teaching portfolio, participation in PharmD student interviews 

Other Requirements/Information

To ensure a well-rounded year and  preparation for the next step of their career journey, residents will complete activities related to the following: 

  • Direct and non-direct patient care learning experiences (rotations)
  • Scientific advancement and research activities
  • Leadership & professional involvement
  • Teaching & academia
  • Research Pharmacy & Investigational Drug Service
  • Oncology staffing
  • Clinical case conference
  • Community service 

Please see the Pharmacy Graduation Requirements Checklist & Program Deliverables for a list of all program completion requirements.    

Wellness Program

We have a dedicated committee focused on resident wellness which consists of both residents and preceptors. Residents receive 5 wellness days to focus on a residency-class identified area of wellness, such as emotional, social, financial, etc. The resident class has the opportunity to participate in a group wellness activity during their wellness day, such as a hike, yoga class, or open discussion groups, but also have the ability to focus on themselves

Benefits

  • Salary: $52,000 annually paid once monthly with medical benefits
  • Up to 15 days of paid time off to be used for vacation/personal/interview/illness
  • Business days for presentations at national and local conferences
  • Access to free workplace counseling 
  • Remote work for non-direct patient care rotations and research month, at discretion of preceptors
  • Leave of absence policies in the event a resident requires longer time away
  • Dedicated office desk space with a personal laptop computer
  • Embroidered white coat
  • Access to MPerks through University of Michigan (additional savings using your badge) 

Residency Director Information  

Program Director: Allison Schepers, PharmD, BCOP 

Email: [email protected] 

 

Program Coordinator: Madeleine Ochs, PharmD, BCOP  

Email: [email protected] 

Preceptors 

Iman Ahmed, PharmD, BCOP, Ambulatory Hematology 

Sam Aitken, PharmD, MPH, BCIDP, Immunocompromised Infectious Diseases 

Lydia Benitez, PharmD, BCOPAdult Ambulatory Leukemia 

Julia Brown, PharmDPediatric Hematology/Oncology 

Catherine Christen, PharmDGynecology/Oncology 

Greg Eschenauer, PharmDInfectious Diseases 

Tate Feeney, PharmD, BCOPAmbulatory Bone Marrow Transplant 

Martina Fraga, PharmDInpatient Hematology/Oncology 

David Frame, PharmDAmbulatory Bone Marrow Transplant & Immuno-Hematology 

Megan Ingebrigtson, PharmD, BCCCPMedical Intensive Care Unit 

Anna Kempke, PharmD, BCOP, BCPSOral Chemotherapy Program 

Michael Kenes, PharmD, FCCM, BCPS, BCCCPMedical Intensive Care Unit 

Madeleine King, PharmDPediatric Hematology/Oncology 

Shawna Kraft, PharmD, BCOP Ambulatory Oncology  

Alanna Lehman, PharmD, BCOP, Adult Inpatient Oncology 

Emily Mackler, PharmD, BCOP Director - Clinical Quality Initiatives Michigan Oncology Quality Consortium (MOQC) 

Bernard Marini, PharmD, BCOPAdult Inpatient Hematology 

Denise Markstrom, PharmD Inpatient Bone Marrow Transplant  

Rachel McDevitt, PharmD, BCOPAmbulatory Oncology 

Victoria Nachar, PharmD, BCOPAmbulatory Hematology/Oncology  

 Jerod Nagel, PharmD, BCIDP, Infectious Diseases & Antimicrobial Stewardship  

Madeleine Ochs, PharmD, BCOPInpatient Hematology Consults 

Anthony Perissinotti, PharmD, BCOPAdult Inpatient Hematology 

Gianni Scappaticci, PharmD, BCOPInpatient Bone Marrow Transplant 

Allison Schepers, PharmD, BCOPAmbulatory Oncology   

Prabha Vogel, PharmD, BCOP, BCPSOncology Administration 

Gina Widmer, PharmD 

 

 

Please check out the F.A.Q. for application deadlines and interview dates.